Paul Givan
Lagan Valley · Democratic Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“The EA's enhanced support model has been out for consultation. The Member's party is the largest political grouping on the Education Authority, so his party supported the model's being consulted on.”
“Protections around strike action and action short of strike are firmly established in statute for all workers, including teachers. If the Member is referring to the Education Inspections Bill, let me be clear: nothing in that legislation removes or undermines that right.”
“The issue was covered at length at the Education Committee. The position is still not where it ought to be. When I came into office, the position that I inherited was much worse than it is today.”
“It is an area that I have had to navigate, as have many previous Education Ministers. Industrial relations is an area that needs ongoing work. I have outlined how we can address it, but I come back to saying that, when workload was undefined, trade unions struggled to specify the challenge.”
“That is not a fair characterisation. In fact, I was with Justin McCamphill, the leader of NASUWT, at the launch of the curriculum reform, at which he commended me for it and said that he thought that it was good. I have sat in many a meeting with trade union representatives during which they have said, "This is a good initiative.”
“That is exactly why there is a 16-week consultation period, rather than the normal 12 weeks or the minimum eight weeks; to allow the public and teaching profession to very much engage in that curriculum, which I commend to all Members.”
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“I was delighted that we were able to reach an agreement on teachers' pay. It was a commitment that I wanted to deliver on. When I first came into post, a new recruit coming out of our teacher training college was paid £23,000 a year. Thanks to a DUP Education Minister, new recruits will now start on £31,650 a year. They will be paid £7,500 a year more than when I was not in this post. I am delighted that we have reached an agreement. I refer the Member to the trade unions' press releases, which I welcomed, in which they thanked me for my intervention as Education Minister. I encourage him to listen to the unions, which praised the work that I carried out.”
“I agree. It has gone on for too long, yet he wants to bring forward a proposal that would lead to legislation not taking effect for three years after he made that statement. The Alliance Party needs to sit back and ask itself why it is here. Is it here just to frustrate and delay the Assembly, or will it allow me, as a Minister, to get on with the job and deliver for hard-working families? I will support the amendment, and I trust that the Alliance Party will support it rather than frustrating the Assembly's work.”
“The Committee could work harder. The public expect this place to get on with its job. I note that, on 27 September 2024, when the consultation on the school uniform Bill went out, the Chairman of the Committee, Mr Mathison said:”
“It should not play politics on the matter and should put hard-working families first.”
“The motion on the Committee Stage extension, which will be debated later today in the House, would, if the Committee follows its inefficient approach, result in the legislation not taking effect until September 2027. It is therefore vital that Members support the amendment that has been tabled. The Committee and its Chair are absolutely wrong on the issue. Our first priority has to be hard-working families. The Committee needs to reorganise its workload, and its members need to do what they are elected to do as Members of the legislative Assembly. It needs to carry out its scrutiny work within a much more efficient time frame than it proposes and put the interests of hard-working families first. The Committee should not seek to deny the implementation of the DUP's manifesto pledge to deliver on that education issue.”
“I have asked the EA to take forward work to look for a better way in which to operate the process, rather than Members and the Department having to deal with the issues that are brought to my attention every year.”
“The Member rightly outlines how the Education Authority is responsible for allocating the PAN to providers. The allocation takes place annually and can change, and that can create instability in some of the settings. The Education Authority is, however, actively trying to manage the number of places in order to match them to the needs of our community, and it needs to make sure there is no oversupply. This year, the circumstances in which the information was communicated were not satisfactory. We are investigating in order to understand how that happened. <BR /> <BR />I accept what the Member has said, and that is why I have commissioned a review of the process used to allocate numbers to preschool and nursery providers.”
“I agree entirely with the Member about the regrettable information that was put out in advance of what was meant to be sent later this week. The Education Authority looked into the matter and engaged with the company that was responsible, Version 1, and it has apologised. It was preparing to release the information this week, and it appears to be down to human error that the information was released in advance. That was wrong, and, as I said, Version 1 has apologised. <BR /> <BR />It created considerable distress, as there often is at this time of the year, but, if the information had not been released early, there would have been less disruption in preschool settings, because work was still being done to find resolutions. The Education Authority is working to make sure that a place is provided for every child in Northern Ireland.”
“That is why I personally intervened, took control of the situation, met the trade unions and put forward a proposal that broke the deadlock. As a result of that action, our teachers are now getting the 5·5% increase, and they will get their backdated pay in May of this year. It is something that the teaching profession has very much welcomed. We continue to work on the issues that teachers have raised about workload.”
“It was announced on Friday 28 March that, following individual consultation with members, the Northern Ireland Teachers' Council (NITC) was not in a position to ratify an agreement on the management side's revised formal offer to resolve the teachers' pay dispute 2024-25. That second pay offer was rejected.”
“That is why I published my TransformED document, which is, at its core, about closing the attainment gap between those who come from a more socially deprived background and those who are better off, with parents who, as the Member rightly outlines, are able to engage private tuition to aid their child.”
“The Member's points can be debated, and I have sympathy for some of them. The decision to abolish academic selection by the state led to the privatisation of the transfer process, so I find it ironic that some advocate greater state control. I have a lot of sympathy for that point. Some parents ask, "Why can these exams not be sat in the school environment? Why can it not be regulated by the state?". Those are points of conversation and debate. I suspect that we will not reach consensus, however, and, if I spend the next two years debating that issue, we will miss what is critical: ensuring that every child is able to access a good school.”
“It will make Northern Ireland a truly world-leading education system. It provides a pathway to educational excellence based on supporting effective teaching and a renewal of curriculum, assessment, qualifications and school improvement, all underpinned by a relentless focus on tackling educational disadvantage. Let us focus on building a truly high-quality school system in which all our children and young people can flourish.”
“The increase in house prices near high-quality schools means that, even though choice is available, poorer parents cannot make use of it because they cannot afford the inflated house prices in the catchment areas of those schools. <BR /> <BR />There is no societal, political or academic consensus on academic selection. Either we continue the same tired, old conversations, trying to socially engineer better education outcomes and setting school sectors against each other, or we focus on what the evidence tells us is important. An education system that promotes social mobility is most fundamentally one in which every child is able to attend a good school. That is why my new TransformED strategy sets out the most detailed and systematic programme of transformation in over a generation.”
“Academic selection supports the principle of parental preference in education. It is a principle that underpins the legal foundations of the education system in Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />For each study that criticises academic selection, there is another that highlights the shortcomings of comprehensive education. In England, for example, the shift from selective grammar schools to comprehensive education did not improve social mobility as intended; rather, selection by ability has been replaced by selection by postcode. Work by the Centre for Economic Performance in the London School of Economics shows that poor access for economically disadvantaged groups to high-quality schools is among the reasons for low social mobility in England.”
“It is a good point. I ask my officials to provide me with updates on the capital programme, and there is a strong argument that those could be published so that the process is transparent and people are kept informed. I am considering setting up a process to provide that information.”
“I encourage the Member to view the significant number of applications that are considered and processed; there is a substantial volume. The Education Committee knows that, having looked into this particular issue. These are all priority 1 cases. That is indicative of the financial pressures that the school estate is under. Countless reports indicate that there needs to be much more investment in our school estate. That is what I want to see achieved. Decisions are delegated at appropriate levels in the Department and the Education Authority. The proper processes are followed to reach those decisions.”
“The Member has had me travel to Upper Bann on a number of occasions, where I have been able to see schools and SEP projects. I assure her that my Department and the Education Authority are actively working to consider how processes can be accelerated. I share the frustration that the Member has raised. I have also indicated to the EA that, where it requires additional capacity to help move these projects forward, I and my Department want to assist it. That work is under way. I want those projects to move forward. We need to get them to the point where they are sitting ready to go. Then, it is another battle to secure the funding. However, we first need those projects to be shovel-ready, then I can seek the finances. Currently, too many projects are not at that stage.”
“I can confirm that that does not mean that the mainstream SEP projects have been paused or placed on hold. However, at present, SEP projects at special schools have been prioritised, with resource directed to take forward those schemes. Regrettably, that has meant that the programme of mainstream projects has been prolonged. However, the EA is currently exploring options to increase its resource to take forward SEP programmes in mainstream controlled schools as soon as possible. <BR /> <BR />I can assure you that there has been no change to the policy regarding SEP. Funding continues to be available to progress SEP projects through the design stages to pre-tender. A decision to release projects to tender for a contractor will be taken on a case-by-case basis, dependent on budget availability at that time.”
“In recent years, there has been an unprecedented increase in the number of children with special educational needs (SEN). Since 2019, the total number of children with statements has risen from 19,000 to 27,000 and there has been a 21% rise in the numbers of pupils attending a special school, with many schools operating at or beyond capacity. <BR /> <BR />As part of my statement to the Assembly on 30 April 2024 to announce the establishment of a SEN capital investment programme, I said that one of the four strands of the programme would focus on the development and delivery of school enhancement programme (SEP) projects at special schools. I set out that there are currently 10 SEP projects pending in special schools, and they will be prioritised and expedited for delivery.”
“We can only spend what is available. That is dependent on the Budget allocation that my Department receives. Therefore, I encourage Members to advocate on behalf of the Department of Education and help us to put that funding into our school community rather than into a new canteen for prisoners in Magilligan. I would sooner have the funding spent in our schools. That is where the priority should be.”
“I can confirm that it is around priority 1 cases. I outlined the reason for that, which is to meet inescapable statutory requirements such as health and safety, fire protection, safeguarding and statutory obligations under the Disability Discrimination Act. Projects are also progressing to provide the minimum accommodation required to implement approved development proposals. As Members will appreciate, the Department is operating within an extremely constrained capital budget. Decisions have necessarily been taken to direct available investment to keep schools open, keep pupils safe and provide education access for the most vulnerable. <BR /> <BR />I very much want to fund more than just the school that Mr Tennyson referred to. Many Members of the House bring me to their constituency to advocate on behalf of their schools.”
“A lot of the questions on issues with confidence are being raised by Members who created a false narrative and inaccuracies. Where there is a lack of confidence in the process, therefore, that is an issue for the Members who created it. I am absolutely confident in the processes that have been followed, so the answer to the Member's question is no, I will not commit to a review. It is a matter for others to do that, if they feel the need to review their processes. The Education Committee can carry out a review of those aspects, but the Member has asked me to initiate a review based on a false premise, and I do not have the resources available to waste my time on that.”
“Timescales for delivery will vary depending on issues such as their state of readiness, including whether there is a need for planning approval; the logistics of delivery, because, for example, some projects can only be delivered when pupils are not on site, limiting the window for delivery to holiday periods, which are typically the summer months; and the availability of funding — some small-scale projects can be mopped up at the end of the financial year, if funding is available. Unlike major works or school enhancement programme projects, minor works projects are initiated almost daily in order to address inescapable concerns. The minor works programme therefore needs to include a degree of flexibility so that it can respond to emerging priorities.”
“My Department is operating within an extremely constrained capital budget. Within those budgetary constraints, minor works are restricted to ministerial priority 1, which refers to those works that meet inescapable statutory requirements such as health and safety, fire protection, safeguarding and statutory obligations under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. Schemes that meet those requirements are prioritised for delivery.”
“I cannot predetermine the outworkings of the process that are being engaged in. I want to enable an effective youth policy. I have my own view on that, but it has to be shaped by those who are actively engaged in that important work. I have a lot of sympathy with the direction of travel that the Member indicated, but the detailed work that is under way needs to be taken forward. That process will allow me to be engaged, and we will move into a consultation process. Members of the House, along with other organisations, will be able to help shape that.”
“I have questioned my officials on this because I would like to see things expedited, but a number of voluntary and community groups have indicated that they need to get this right and that they would rather go through the detailed work. That is why the time frame is slightly longer than I would like it to be. It is hoped that there will be a launch in early 2026. The proposals need to come to me in the summer. We then need to take decisions and put them out to public consultation, and time will be needed to work through that. The objective, however, is to move towards having a launch in early 2026. The sooner all the key stakeholders can move forward on the process, the better. I want to enable the outworkings of the policy, but I am dependent on all the organisations playing their part to aid me.”
“Once we get to that place where there is a policy, that will be subject to a public consultation process, which will give a further opportunity for community and voluntary groups to have an input into shaping the policy.”
“The point that Mr McGrath makes is one that I have heard repeatedly from a number of the community groups that I engage with. It is also one that I can speak to from my constituency point of view, where I see how the voluntary and community sector do excellent work on youth services. That is why I am very keen to make sure that they are enabled to do their work and that, where they can do that work, there should not be the need for statutory provision because the voluntary and community sector can do it. There will always be a role for statutory provision — absolutely — but the review is working through all the various aspects that I just outlined.”
“Quarterly updates on the policy review are made available on the Department's website, and the next update is scheduled for April 2025.”
“The Priorities for Youth policy review commenced in September 2023. My Department is taking a co-design approach to the review. The review includes children and young people, the Education Authority, which is the statutory provider of youth services, youth work practitioners, the voluntary and community sector and other Departments. <BR /> <BR />My officials are gathering, reviewing and assessing evidence from a broad range of sources, including a young person's reference group; a regional advisory group; a cross-departmental group; five thematic subgroups; the project board; the Education and Training Inspectorate (ETI); relevant research reports; and other policy areas in the Department. The review findings and evidence-based policy options will be brought to me for consideration during the summer of this year.”
“That is a statutory process, and a number of steps need to be carried out before it can be published. The initial steps in this case have to be carried out by CCMS and then by the Education Authority. At that stage, the Department's role in the DP process begins when a proposal is published. My Department is then engaged in that process.”
“I know that the Member has pursued the issue very effectively and has raised it with me on a number of occasions and continues, rightly, to do so. On 9 May 2024, I met the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools along with other elected Members, departmental officials and representatives from Dean Maguirc College to discuss the admission and enrolment numbers at the school. The CCMS subsequently indicated that it would bring forward a DP to seek to increase the admission and enrolment numbers at the school through the DP process and that it would work with the school to bring it forward. <BR /> <BR />I mentioned 'Operational Plan 2' and its reference to Dean Maguirc College. It is not possible for me to put a specific time frame on bringing forward the DP.”
“While that work is ongoing, the school remains able to apply for temporary variations to enable it to increase its intake when there is oversubscription in the area.”
“<BR /> <BR />On 16 January 2025, the Education Authority published its second operational plan for 2024-26. Dean Maguirc College features in 'Operational Plan 2' under a short-term work stream that says:”
“The Council for Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS), as the planning and managing authority for Catholic maintained schools, has indicated that it will seek to increase the admissions and enrolment numbers at Dean Maguirc College via the development proposal (DP) process under article 14 of the Education and Libraries (Northern Ireland) Order 1986. As it is a statutory process, CCMS will work with the school in that regard. <BR /> <BR />The DP process can be separated into four main phases: first, identification of need in the area planning process; secondly, the pre-publication consultation; thirdly, publication of a DP; and, fourthly, the statutory objection period leading to a decision by the Minister. I should point out that the Department’s role in the DP process commences when a proposal is published.”
“Obviously, there are teams involved in what would be necessary to take forward particular works in the school. That is actively monitored by the Department and the Education Authority. Where there are commitments for work schemes to be completed by September, there will be effective monitoring of that. If it is not going to happen, it should be flagged up to the school and the Department.”
“The good news is that the IDT has been appointed. As the group with the relevant expertise, it will take forward the works needed at St Brigid's, so that allows things to commence. There was a business case for the specialist provision of classrooms and associated accommodation at St Brigid's. That business case was for a five-classroom specialist provision extension at a total cost of around £4·5 million. That was received in November 2024, but the level of cost means that it is currently with my Department's economists for review before submission to my director of finance for consideration. We therefore do not have a complete timeline for the works on that particular aspect that is needed in St Brigid's, but progress is being made, and I will continue to seek to make that progress.”
“The integrated design team for the project to improve access to St Brigid's College was appointed on 2 April 2025.”
“Where there is a security incident, there should be a security policy in place where schools have a strategy setting out how to deal with a wide range of issues. Those can range from security of cash, personal property and personal safety to incidents of violence. The school's response to any incident should be led by its safety strategy. While it is not realistic to plan for every possible situation, the safety strategy should set out the appropriate responses that can be implemented in an emergency.”
“It is by way of an unavoidable minor works application, and that will be considered through the normal processes. Each school differs in what would need to be developed and tailored to its unique circumstances. Schools are well placed to know what is necessary by way of any capital investment in security-related equipment. They should then engage through the Education Authority and put forward that application so that it can be assessed.”
“Where there is a need for any capital, that can be brought forward by way of an unavoidable minor works application. An application for funding for security measures that may need to be provided in a particular school would be considered. If a school feels that it needs some security infrastructure, I encourage it to engage with the relevant managing authority and submit an application so that it can be considered.”
“I thank the Member for her interest in the issue and for the question in light of the security threats that came through by email. The advice was that they were hoaxes, and schools were able to reopen. <BR /> <BR />When it comes to communication, schools are well placed to advise parents of any circumstances that may require a response from parents, including if they need to collect their children. That is a plan that schools should have in place.”
“However, I am happy to commit to a review of the guidance to ensure that it remains appropriate and up to date to mitigate the risks in today’s world.”
“For new-build schools, consultation with the PSNI crime prevention design adviser and architectural liaison officer takes place on all aspects of site and building security from an early stage of development. <BR /> <BR />If schools have concerns about their existing security infrastructure, they should submit an unavoidable minor works application, supported by a PSNI report. Guidance on security and personal safety is available on the Department of Education’s website, and the Education Authority’s health, safety and emergency planning service is also available to provide schools with information and guidance. While that guidance was originally introduced in 1997, it remains relevant and largely current.”
“With your permission, Mr Speaker, I will group questions 3 and 8. <BR /> <BR />I condemn the disruption caused by the recent school closures due to security concerns, and I welcome the speedy response from the PSNI. Our young people and staff should be able to attend school without concerns about their safety or security. <BR /> <BR />The Department’s building handbook specifies the use of CCTV in schools with respect to building and site security and is for the protection of school premises and grounds against vandalism and theft. The handbook also provides for an intruder-detection system and external lighting for school security purposes.”
“It is an issue on which differing views have been expressed, particularly by those in our schools who have to navigate what can be very difficult challenges. I moved to establish a working group and invited participants to be part of that so that we can look at what guidance can be provided. The outworkings of that will provide a better understanding on which to base a decision on whether to repeal the article.”
“As Minister, I do not have the power to repeal article 4(1)(c). That would be a matter for the Assembly. I am considering whether to bring any such proposals to the Executive.”
“In each of the last six years, at least 99·8% of target-age children were offered a place in a preschool setting of their parents' preference by the end of the admissions process, with places available each year for those who were not yet in that position.”
“The reality, however, is that birth rates are falling and fewer children require a funded preschool place compared with last year. Therefore, increasing the PAN for one setting above the overall level of need inevitably means a reduction for another setting, potentially putting it at risk and, importantly, risking overall under-provision of preschool places for target-age children. Much as we would all like every setting to have its preferred PAN allocation, that is simply not possible. <BR /> <BR />The EA's allocation process is intended to treat all settings equitably, maintaining stability in the sector, avoiding unnecessary costs of over-provision and ensuring that all target-age children can access a funded preschool education place.”